Detailed court documents filed in Richland County District Court were released Feb. 17 in the abduction and murder of Sidney teacher Sherry Arnold. Charging documents reveal that Arnold was choked to death the morning of Jan. 7 and is likely to be buried in a remote area near Williston, ND.
The documents reveal that Michael Spell, 22, confessed to investigating agents that he and Lester Waters Jr., 47, abducted Sherry Arnold while she was jogging and killed her.
After Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer and North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple signed extradition requests, both men were extradited on Feb. 14, from Williston, where they had been held, to Sidney.
The documents largely focus on the alleged confession of Spell.
Court documents reveal that on or about Jan. 7, 2012, Waters and Spell restrained Arnold by forcing her to remain in a green Ford Explorer after Spell had grabbed her and forced her into the vehicle on or near Holly Street.
On Jan. 12, Williston police, who were aware of the investigation, located a 1993 dark green Ford Explorer being driven by Waters. He was advised he was being detained for questioning regarding a homicide investigation and that a search warrant for his vehicle was being obtained. Waters later declined to be interviewed prior to speaking with an attorney.
An inventory of Waters’ personal belongings included a receipt from Walmart, in Williston, dated Jan. 7, 2012, at 9:36 p.m. for bread, bologna and a shovel.
On Jan. 13, the FBI located and interviewed Spell in Rapid City, SD. He confessed to the agents that he and Waters abducted Arnold while she was jogging and killed her. He expressed his desire to help locate the body. Spell said Waters was smoking crack cocaine during the entire trip, and that Waters began talking about kidnapping and killing a female.
According to Spell’s confession, Waters was smoking crack cocaine on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 7. The same morning Arnold, 43, went missing after an early morning run.
Spell said the grave site, a two or three foot deep hole, was at the end of a shelter belt on an old farmstead in a rural, isolated area outside of Williston.
Evidence collected has been submitted to the federal crime lab for testing. Authorities are continuing to search for Sherry Arnold’s body.
Both Waters and Spell are facing a charge of felony aggravated kidnapping. They are scheduled to appear in Richland County District Court on Feb. 28.
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